Supply stop mechanism for coin handling machines and the like



Sept 18, 1956 Filed May 28, 1952 SUPPLY J N. FRANCIS STOP MEI-CH ANISMFOR COIN HANDLING MACHINES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1L WWW p 18, 1956J. N. FRANCIS SUPPLY STOP MECHANISM FOR COIN HANDLING MACHINES AND THELIKE Filed May 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent SUPPLYSTOP MECHANISM FOR COIN HANDLING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Joseph N.Francis, Woburn, Mass., assignor to Standard Coin Wrappers,Incorporated, Boston, Mass., :1 corporation of Massachusetts Thisinvention relates to article handling and feeding machines and moreparticularly to coin machines such as counting machines wherein thecoins are subjected to centrifugal force by rotation of a container orbase on which the coins are deposited, and into which the coins aresupplied from a source such as a hopper.

The invention has for an object to prevent the articles from being fedto the machine faster than they are discharged therefrom which wouldresult in overflow and danger of loss. This is particularly liable tohappen when the delivery from the machine becomes slower than normal oris stopped.

A further object of the invention is to provide. such a machine whichwhile effective for its intended purpose ofiers no obstruction to theproper functioning of the machine even when the machine is infeed-stopping condition.

Still another object is to provide a very simple and inexpensive yeteffective mechanism for accomplishing the intended purpose.

For a complete understanding of the invention reference may be had tothe accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of acoin-handling machine, more particularly a coin counter, and supplyhopper, em bodying the invention.

Figure 2 and 3 are detail sectional views on lines 2-2 and 3-3,respectively, of Figure. 1.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing the parts insupply-stopping position.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view on line 6--6 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, at 1 is shown the support ing portion of acoin counting machine. This machine is provided with a rotatablesubstantially horizontal table 2 carried at the upper end of a rotatableshaft 3. This table 2 forms the base of a container having a marginalupstanding stationary side wall portion 4. This wall portion 4 has anoutwardly extending flange 5 which may be secured to the support 1 as byscrews 6. Its upper edge portion is inwardly inclined as at 10 and has arim portion 11 thereon.

Suitable means may be provided, as is well known in the art, forreceiving coins from the container which coins are thrown outwardlywhile in flat condition by centrifugal force produced by the rotation ofthe table 2, but as such mechanism is old and well known in the art, itis not shown herein.

Above the receptacle is positioned a supply hopper 15 having a chute 16arranged to deliver the coins into the receptacle, and as shown, suchcoins may be fed into the receptacle through a rotary valve 17 actuatedintermittently by ratchet mechanism. This valve mechanism comprises, asshown, three vanes 18 carried by a central shaft 19 and whichprogressively pass a discharge opening 20 in the hopper. These vanes,together with the side Walls of the casing 21 in which the vanes 18revolve to 2,763,400 Patented Sept. 18, 1956 provide receptacles whichreceive the coins from the hopper and carry them about the axis of theshaft 19 and finally discharge them into the chute 16. The shaft 19outwardly of the valve casing 21 carries a ratchet wheel 22 which may beengaged by a ratchet :dog 23 pivoted on an arm 24 journaled on the shaft19 and normally urged into engagement with the ratchet teeth by a spring25. The outer end of the arm 24 is pivoted to a link 26 which is securedto the upper end of a bar 27. The lower end of this bar 27 carries afollower roll 28 which rests upon the periphery of a cam 29 fixed to ashaft 30.

A motor 31 serves to rotate the cam 29 through a train of gearingindicated generally at 32, this resulting in raising the bar 27 and thenallowing it to descend by gravity at the desired rate of speed, thus toproduce an intermittent rotation of the vanes 18 and intermittent feedof coins into the coin container.

Within this container there is shown pivoted at 35 (see Figure 3)substantially parallel to the shaft 3 an arcuate element 36 whichnormally projects inwardly over the rotary table 2 but spaced above thistable a predetermined distance so that when the supply of coins withinthe container is below the level of the element 36 this element is notcontacted thereby and remains in its inwardly extended position shown inFigure 3. It is so normally held by a spring pressed plunger 37 (seeFigure 3), the inner end of which engages against the outer face of theelement 36 and presses a tail portion 38 thereof against the inner faceof the wall 4. This plunger 37 passes through a tubular casing 40 whichhouses a spring 41 reacting between the closed outer end 42 of thecasing and a collar 43 pinned to the plunger. This plunger 37, as shown,is provided with a cross pin 45 which rides in a slot 46 in the outerportion of the casing 40, this pin and slot connection providing againstturning of the plunger 37. Its outer end is slabbed oil to form a latchelement 47, which, when the plunger is in the position shown in Figures3 and 4, is retracted from the path of motion of the bar 27. However,should the mass of articles within the container rise to such a pointthat they engage against the inner face of the member 36, thecentrifugal force imparted thereto by rotation of the table 2 will pressagainst the inner face of the member 36 and press it back transverse tothe axis of rotation of the table 2 against the inner face of the wall 4in the position shown in Figure 5, so that when a notch 50 in the bar 27comes opposite thereto, the plunger will snap into it, thus preventingthe rod 27 from descending after it has been lifted to its highest pointby the cam 23. As this cam is now prevented from engaging andreciprocating the bar 26, further operation of the ratchet feedmechanism is stopped and so remains until such time as the level of thecoins within the container is lowered to a point heneath the element 36,whereupon centrifugal force is no longer effective to press this elementoutwardly and hell the plunger in feed-stopping position. As soon asthis occurs, the spring 41 presses the plunger inwardly and removes itslatch portion 47 from stopping engagement with the bar 27 so that theratchet feed mechanism is again rendered operative to feed coins orother articles from the hopper 15 into the container.

From the foregoing description of an embodiment thereof, it will beevident that various changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a container having a substantially horizontalrotary base and means for rotating said base, a supply receptacle, andmeans for delivering articles from said receptacle to said container, ofan element carried within said container above said base and yieldabletransverse to the axis of rotation of said base and with which articlesin said container above a predetermined level may contact and againstwhich they may be thrown by centrifugal force due to rotation of saidbase, and means operatively connected to said element and to saiddelivering means and actuable by motion of said element caused bycentrifugal pressure thereagainst by articles within said container forrendering said delivering means inoperative.

2. In combination with a container having a substantially horizontalrotary base and means for rotating said base, a supply receptacle, andmeans for delivering articles from said receptacle to said containerincluding a reciprocab'le member, an element pivoted on an axissubstantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said base in saidcontainer and normally yieldingly projecting over said base spaced abovesaid base and adapted to be engaged and swung outwardly by centrifugalforce exerted by articles within said container above a predeterminedlevel thrown thereagainst by the rotation of said base, and means'operatively connected to said pivoted element and arranged to beprojected into the path of motion of said reciprocable member andprevent further reciprocation thereof and further feed from saidreceptacle when said element is swung outwardly.

3. In combination with a container having a substantially horizontalrotary base and means for rotating said base, a supply receptacle, andmeans for delivering articles from said receptacle to said containerincluding a ratchet feed mechanism, a cam, a bar yieldingly engagingsaid cam and connected to said ratchet feed and axially movable tointermittently actuate said feed mechanism, an element pivoted in saidcontainer on an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation ofsaid base and normally yieldingly projecting over said base spaced abovesaid base and adapted to be engaged and swung outwardly by centrifugalforce exerted by articles within said containerabove a predeterminedlevel. thrown thereagainst by the rotation of said base, andmeans'operatively connected to said pivoted element and arranged to beprojected .into the-path of motion of said bar and prevent furtherreciprocation thereof and further feed from said receptacle when saidelement is swung'outwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES-PATENTS619,425 Marsden Feb. 14, 1899 701,453 Zellers June 3, 1902 1,092,240Bennett Apr. 7, 1914 1,157,979 Fasting Oct. 26, 1915 1,203,167 WoolsonOct. 31, 1916 1,501,622 Ruau July 15, 1924 1,530,478 Carlson Mar. 24,1925 1,869,895 Hazenfield Aug. 2, 1932 2,049,990 Armstrong Aug. 4, 19362,277,879 Ness Mar. 31, 1942 2,430,407 Nelson Nov. 4, 1947 2,619,256Wiley Nov. 24, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Norway 2 of 1913

